the smile merchant
by Scythe-chan
Summary: The Smile Merchant was a stoic man with pure intentions, willing to let customers see his charming smile for a payment of fifty bucks. As he strolls around the Teiko village, his heart pounds as he meets a red-haired customer, who smirks after witnessing his smile and declares their future together that seems too unpleasant to his liking. AkaKuro, AU!Village, One-shot.


**One-shot: the smile merchant**

**Pairing: akakuro**

**Warnings: AU!Village **

**Note: there would be a 2nd chapter for this, so I guess this would be a two-shot? - laughs -**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke**

* * *

Teiko was a bustling village, the embodiment of life and vigor.

Before the sun shamelessly reveals itself, its light rays reaching out to bathe the dull and dark sky, the mothers rise to carry out the housework and prepare breakfast for the young souls in deep rest, whereas the merchants set off to open their well-maintained stalls, eagerly anticipating for the usual wave of customers.

Teiko, indeed, was an enlivening village.

" These homegrown vegetables are of the highest quality in Japan, only bein' offered at a very low price. ya know! Come, buy 'em now before they're gone, I say! " repeated a foreign trader with an equally foreign accent, struggling to speak Japanese as fluently as he could. Many immediately strode to the foreigner, buying as many as they could.

Sometimes, these traders would quarrel over the amount of customers they would receive, the venue of their stalls and whatnots. Some may scoff and remark it was only trivial, but to the merchants who work from day to night tirelessly, it was only expected that such problems came to disastrous events. But, it was often that the buyers were men with expensive ties and heavy pockets, so who were to complain?

That, was the daily life of most Teiko villagers, and they did not dislike it one bit.

The minority lived quietly in a tranquil area, far away from the busy heartland of the village. They lived in similar wooden houses like the majority, and spent their days farming or sitting down to drink a cup of coffee, making sure to produce a loud, refreshed noise after every gulp. The wealthier ones opened a small zoo and brought some animals to stay there for passerbys to visit. Though a disturbance to the peace and harmony to the minority, it served as a good money-making method.

When the dazzling moon replaces the reluctant sun, most merchants pack up and exhaustedly return to their abodes to seek for warmth and a good rest as fuel for the next day. However, the night was for naughty adolescents and wretched adults to play, and soon they gather to begin a wondrous and enigmatic banquet, packed with stolen food and maybe, sex.

The night was also the ceremony of exposed secrets under Teiko's mask.

Teiko, despite being one of the wealthiest villages, had an above average rate of people in poverty. One could see a man donning heavy garments of the finest silk attacking a frail child with bruises on his knees, which was rather unfortunate, as often the poor would mind their own business.

If one's hands held gold, he would be lucky to be able to make the people of high calibre his friends, get special privileges and drink expensive wine. However, if their hands were dirtied with mud and soil, they would have to helplessly wait for the inevitable oppression.

That was the truth of Teiko, something that would never been seen by most locals forever.

But one of the merchants was aware about this problem.

Everyday at a specific time during the late evenings, the powder blue-haired man silently walks out of the tenebrous alley he seeked refuge in. He was dressed in a torn button-up shirt, dirty pants and brown boots he found in the garbage bins, using an oil lamp to navigate around the dark. The people of the night knew him as a stoic man who never smiled, but few who had the money would witness the corners of his mouth turning up, and all his customers he gained talked and spread to their companions about the beauty and influence he could give with just a mere smile. He was not born with a large presence, so something like this made him flabbergasted.

He would walk around the streets and offer a smile for free to the people who sat against the walls of the wooden houses, their faces painted with despair and depression. He hoped that that would at least help them to cheer up and face forward confidently, and it was very heartwarming for him to hear news of them trying to find work or even start businesses although they had little money.

Kuroko Tetsuya, a name that would never be forgotten by the people who were entranced by him, was the Smile Merchant.

* * *

" Hey, Tetsu-chan, oh, you cheeky man! Wouldn't you show me your smile for once?~ " A busty woman purred, addressing the patrolling male intimately. The woman grabbed his arm and held it close to her chest, causing Kuroko to feel goosebumps on his arms. He shivered.

" That would be 50 dollars, miss, " he informed the prostitute emotionlessly, his eyes surveying the surroundings for at least one who did not look too good at the point of time. The woman freed his arm and protested in an unbelievably high tone, " Eeh?! I don't have that much money with me, Tetsu-chan! Wouldn't you just give it to me today for free? You know, I don't feel so great lately an- "

But before she finished, her eyes blink to realise that the smile merchant had disappeared. She pouts in frustration, flipped her hair and walked to the nearest smart-looking man she noticed.

Kuroko continued to loiter around the streets and sighed, though this business was helpful to cover his needs, but it was because his smile was deemed " too expensive " that he did not receive much customers. Yesterday, he did not get anybody walking towards him. Two days ago, he only got one customer. If he cannot at least make 50 bucks for himself at the end of the day, he did not expect himself to survive a week.

He sighed once more and decided to go back to the alley he occupied. If things got worser, he'll have to lower down the price of his smile, and that did not seem like a pleasant idea to him at all. He took the steps towards his alley, pushing a rat away from his path.

" Hey, you. "

Kuroko spun his head around to meet a silhouette and a pair of heterochromatic eyes of the owner. The orbs glowed in the pitch-black darkness, and even Kuroko swallowed nervously at the overwhelming aura he exuded. " How may I help you? " the merchant asked curiously, looking up to meet the eyes of the silhouette. The stranger retreated back to a place with more light, and Kuroko does the same.

The stranger had fiery red hair and eyes that could control anybody with just a mere glance. He wore a grey tuxedo and held a black suitcase. The man went straight to the point, not mincing his words, " My name is Akashi Seijuuro from Rakuzan and I would like you to smile. "

" My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, pleased to meet you. Also, it would be 50 dollars. " Kuroko repeated the sentence he had to say everyday. " Oh? " Akashi raised an eyebrow, displeased.

" In what strange circumstances do I have to pay you for only an expression? " He demanded.

" I am the genuine Smile Merchant, and I see no reason to answer, " he answered matter-of-factly, crossing his arms in defiance. Akashi rummaged in his pocket to produce a fat wallet, opening it to take out a 50-dollar bill and handed it to Kuroko. Akashi felt it strange to hear his business partners to talk about a person who actually showed his smile to people in return for money, and had travelled all the way to Teiko to find the truth himself.

Kuroko gratefully took the cash from him and shoved it inside his pocket. Kuroko's eyes flickered to Akashi's strange ones, gazed at him and gently smiled. Akashi's eyes widened at the sight, probably engulfed in the beauty and was mesmerised. It took him two seconds to compose himself after Kuroko had reverted back to his nonchalant expression.

Indeed, Akashi was captivated. He parted his lips, and then closed it back tightly.

" May I see it for the second time? " Akashi requested in a murmur, still greatly affected by the merchant's change of expression.

" No, " said Kuroko stubbornly. " If you want to see it again, I would like another 50 dollars. "

Akashi wickedly smiled at his pertinacious and sighed, running his hand through his crimson hair.

" Wha-, " Kuroko began as he felt the force of Akashi's hand push the back of his head closer to Akashi, effectively shutting the merchant up as his lips touch his. Kuroko struggled to break free, while Akashi tried to force his lips open, wanting to taste every bit of the powder-blue man. When Akashi finally stopped, he stepped back to gaze at the flustered merchant and smirked as he watched him wipe off the saliva on his lips.

Akashi decided to give a declaration for him to hear.

" Remember this, Tetsuya. The time when your smiles are finally exclusive to me is the time when you are officially mine. "

And so the tale of the well-to-do businessman of Rakuzan and the Smile Merchant of Teiko began.


End file.
